When the cloud lifts and the visibility is clear, then the terrain opens up. The ski area of Whistler is vast but it is only when you get up high, on a good day, that you start to appreciate that.

This is one of my favourite areas, and just a very small part of it. The real joy of skiing is having that freedom to ski different lines through this mountainscape, down to the lift and then back up to the top, and start all over again. And it is this type of day that lends itself to monochrome images – the starkness of the trees against the white of the snow. The light was still diffused, but then that makes imaging a little easier. When the light is too bright, then balancing highlight and shadow is difficult. If only every day was like this!

Click on the image to see a better quality enlargement.

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About LensScaper

Hi - I'm a UK-based photographer who started out 45+ years ago as a lover of landscapes, inspired by my love of outdoor pursuits: skiing, walking and climbing. Now retired, I seldom leave home without a camera and I find images in unexpected places and from different genres. I work on the premise that Photography is Art and that creativity is dependent on the cultivation of 'A Seeing Eye'. I'm not averse to manipulating images to produce derivatives that may sometimes be far removed from the original.

10 Responses to In clear air

I’m not accustomed to seeing that sort of tree, even in photos — at least, that I remember. They’re so slender, and in some cases so small, that the distinction between skiier and tree sometimes takes a second glance. There’s something about the scene that reminds me of a snow globe: as though the mountain, trees, and skiiers had been miniaturized. I really like this.

I think it is true to say in general that the higher you go the more stunted the trees become, and eventually you get above the tree line. I suspect a lot of the trees you see in this picture are either stunted or may be relatively young trees that will grow more over time. They are certainly nowhere near as tall as ones down in the village

Thanks Paul, good to hear from you. I missed skiing in the last two winters due to our house move and the fact that Charlotte was unwell early months of last year – now fully recovered. This was a tough week but skiing is a bit like riding a bike – you don’t forget how to do it, and I was pleased to discover that!

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